[walterbell]

It could also work for tipping app developers who struggle to earn revenue on Apple/Google platforms. Some developers respond quickly to support and enhancement requests on Twitter. It would be convenient to tip developers for either their assistance or to sponsor a new software feature, from the Twitter app where you are already "chatting" with the developer. In China, WeChat incorporates payments and much more, http://a16z.com/2015/08/06/wechat-china-mobile-first/

"... while Facebook and WhatsApp measure growth by the number of daily and monthly active users on their networks, WeChat cares more about how relevant and central WeChat is in addressing the daily, even hourly needs of its users. Instead of focusing on building the largest social network in the world, WeChat has focused on building a mobile lifestyle — its goal is to address every aspect of its users’ lives, including non-social ones. The way it achieves this goal is through one of the most unsurfaced aspects of WeChat: the pioneering model of “apps within an app”. Millions (note, not just thousands) of lightweight apps live inside WeChat, much like webpages live on the internet. This makes WeChat more like a browser for mobile websites, or, arguably, a mobile operating system — complete with its own proprietary app store. Not what we’d expect from a messaging app.."

If Twitter can create a revenue channel for creators and developers, then (re)open the platform to third-party developers, they can unlock dormant economic potential in both the platform and customer base. The advertising ("own the user experience") experiment has run its course, it's time to try business models which build on Twitter's unique identity platform.